The History of Our Group

OVERVIEW

A journey that began two centuries ago

With over 140 years of cumulative experience, the Group has a long history and has always been at the forefront of striving to meet evolving customer needs.
The history of our business charts the history of the cable industry itself, marked by many major milestones along the way, which cement our reputation as an early adopter and industry pioneer.

Prysmian Group and General Cable Join Forces

In July 2018, the Group finalized the acquisition of General Cable, resulting in combined operations that include 27 manufacturing facilities, 14 distribution centers, 4 R&D centers and 3 sales offices.

Prysmian Group North America’s business units include Power Distribution, Specialty, Telecom, Trade & Installers and Energy Projects (HV).

  1. 1904

    NSW, a General Cable Company based in Nordenham, Germany, produced and installed a trans-Atlantic submarine telecommunications cable line connecting Borkum, Germany, via the Azores to New York –  4,967 conductor miles.

  2. 1927

    After officially incorporating in New Jersey, U.S.A., the Company designed a distinctive identity by which it would be known to its many customers, suppliers, investors and associates. The trademark logo represented three lengths of cable overlaid on one another, with the words ‘General Cable’ on each length.

  3. 1935

    Supplied 100% of the cable for the power transmission line from the Hoover Dam to Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. – 1,626 conductor miles.

  4. 1945

    British Insulated Callender's Cables was formed by two of the earliest cable making companies in Britain, which date back to the 1880s. The company's name was simplified to BICC in 1975.

  5. 1964

    Adopted a new logo to reinforce and promote the letters “GCC” as the accepted abbreviation for General Cable Corporation.

  6. 1967

    Supplied power cable to four THUMS (Texaco, Humble, Union, Mobile and Shell) man-made offshore islands at Long Beach, California, used for drilling and pumping fluid from oil-rich wells back to the mainland.

  7. 1970

    Installed the highest underground distribution line at Pikes Peak, Colorado, U.S.A. Seven miles of cable buried beneath unpaved mountain roads furnishes electrical energy to three installations including a medical research lab atop the 14,110-foot summit.

  8. 1971

    Supplied hundreds of miles of power and communications cable to link the control facilities with the launch platforms at Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S.A.

  9. 1977

    Designed, developed and manufactured a 5.6-mile optical fibre cable that GTE installed in California, U.S.A., as the world’s first light wave communications system to provide regular telephone service to the public.

  10. 1985

    Supplied the wire and cable to the Marsden Point Oil Refinery located at the entrance to Whangarei Harbour in Northland, New Zealand.

  11. 1986

    Supplied wire to light the Statue of Liberty for the Centennial celebration.

  12. 1991

    Supplied medium-voltage aluminium cable and armoured cable for power, control and signalling applications for the AVE high-speed railway system connecting Madrid to Seville, Spain.

  13. 1992

    Supplied the wire and cable to build the infrastructure for the Barcelona Olympic Games and the Seville World’s Fair.

  14. 1998

    Produced a hybrid copper and fibre optic cable to provide electricity and communications to the guard station at the top of Mount Rushmore. The cable jacket was custom designed for long-term outdoor survival in the rugged South Dakota, U.S.A., weather and its pinkish tan colour blends in with the environment.

  15. 2000

    Supplied on-board fibre optic cable for the ongoing requirements and maintenance of the International Space Station program.

  16. 2001

    Rallied production and distribution efforts to respond to the immediate need for portable power cable, critical to the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center as well as energy cable, to restore power to New York City, New York, U.S.A., after the September 11th terrorist attack.

  17. 2008

    Acquired majority ownership of joint ventures in Algeria and the Philippines, with each business delivering more than $100 million in annual revenues.

  18. 2013

    Introduced the global Wired as One Values program to unite all General Cable employees worldwide through a common set of value-based principles that define the behaviours of everyone in the company’s performance-driven culture.

Older Years

1844

Supplied the insulated wire to Samuel Morse for his historic communication between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.

1882

Manufactured a seven-conductor line to link the U.S. Capitol with the State, War and Navy Buildings.

1886

Supplied wire to light the Statue of Liberty twice – first in 1886 and again for the Centennial celebration in 1986.

1893

Produced 145 miles of cable for installation under New York City sidewalks and a 3,000 volt cable for the first Chicago World's Fair.